New subscribers and
everyone else,
get your eBook at the Freebie link below.

This will be a
cinnamon issue. To me, cinnamon was there to be mixed with sugar and
sprinkled over pancakes, but apparently there is more than meets the eye!
I am featuring cinnamon in my herbs section and I also have some recipes
with cinnamon as ingredient! Enjoy!

Fried Coke ? Why
the hell not ? They've done everything else possible to it ! It seems that
a few weeks ago a stall holder at the State Fair of Texas came up with the
wacky idea of selling Deep Fried Coke. Well of course people love a catchy
name and the concept took off like an overgased bottle of Coke, so much so
that it is being replicated around the country at other State Fairs and
Expositions. Of course like most things with catchy names there's always a
catch and in this case it's not really deep fried Coke, it's deep fried
batter nuggets topped with the raw cola syrup that they make your counter
dispensed Coke from.
The guy who came up with the idea is no slouch when it comes to culinary
creativity ( I think he spent a seaon with Ferran Adria but that's
unconfirmed ) because last year his " stop them in their tracks "
attention grabber was the Fried Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Sandwich.
He sold 20,000 of those during the entire 2005 fair but he looks like
setting a new record this year because he has already sold 16,000 tubs of
Coke nuggets in the first two weeks of trading. Taking his cue from the
boys in Atlanta in working the public, he has already changed the Original
Recipe to New Coke Nuggets incorporating even more Coke syrup into the
batter itself. Other not to be missed delights on offer at the Texas State
Fair included Fried Pralines, Fried Macaroni and Fried Marshmallows on a
Stick - all available in SuperSizes on request no doubt.

OK, I have a challenge for you
all, if this works in the States, it will work here. What can we add to or
change to traditional South African kerkbasaar (church féte) fare to make
it excitingly different?? A vetkoek hotdog with peanut sauce? Chocolate
coated beskuit (rusks)? I am sure we have some creative thinkers out
there,send
me
your suggestions and I will publish them on my site and in the next
letter. The best suggestion gets a copy of my Recipe eBook CD.- Peter

Freebie!!

Fancy your seafood? The freebie is a great eBook with
seafood recipes. Just right click here and download it! Makes a perfect gift!

Never buy another recipe book again!

I have put together my South African Traditional Recipes in English
and Afrikaans plus another 36 recipe eBooks on one CD.
Click here
to take a look and also download your free Low Fat recipe eBook

Hello Peter,
Just to let you know that I received my recipe CD today in the mail and
I'm over the moon about it.
I'm going to spread the word to others to order copies too. It's most
certainly worth every cent..........
Thanks again,
LC

Glenacres Superspar Recipe

Glenacres
Superspar sends out a really nice newsletter full of super recipes. To
subscribe,
click hereand send the blank email.

Before chicken livers became taboo
for me because of cholesterol I used to love Nando's Peri Peri Chicken
Livers. Here is a recipe for you to try:

1. Trim off and keep the rinds and finely chop the bacon rashers
2. Melt butter in a frying pan and add the onions, bacon and bacon rinds,
cooking gently for 5 minutes
3. Trim the livers and cut off any pieces of sinew or fat
4. Remove the bacon rinds from the pan and discard, add the livers and
sage, season well and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally
5. Add the soured cream and mix well, simmering gently for 3 minutes
6. Meanwhile, boil the rice for about 12 minutes in salted water, then
drain well
7. Arrange cooked rice round the edge of a heated dish, and pour the
chicken livers into the centre
8. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot

Another Wacky Sarmie

Go take a look at
my Wacky Sarmies
page, there are some great sarmie ideas!

Anita, Vaalie in Silicon Valley, California

So, I once dated a guy from Jo'burg who loved apricot jam and Miracle Whip
sarmies (open or closed, you decide).
My hubby, a British American, loves slapchips on white bread, drenched in
curry sauce (the kind you get in English chip-shops)
My personal fav is strawberries on warm buttered French loaf, sprinkled
with sugar. Reminds me of a family holiday in France, so it's tasty AND
nostalgic.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

When I am on vacation I usually
keep a tin of condensed milk in the fridge, my treat is to take a sip
every now and then :-)

Z van Straaten from Ankara sent me
the following:

We live in Turkey and Condensed
milk is not available at the shops, so we make out own.
I got this recipe from a British lady who has been living here for 15
years!

1934: The United Party is formed in
South Africa, Adolf Hitler becomes Fuhrer. Nuclear fission is discovered,
the SA government acquire Union Airways which becomes SA Airways.

Really, really old recipe

This dates from the 1890's and is
from a book titled Cape Cookery, Simple Yet Distinctive.

Pickled Fish (Ingelegde Visch)

For this geelbeck is the best. Cut
the fish into slices about an inch in thickness, sprinkle them with salt
and pepper and put them aside till the next day. Put them out in the air
till they are rather dry.

Fry in boiling fat. Have some
onions sliced, cut chillies, bay leaves, turmeric and vinegar, all in
proportion to the quantity of fish; boil it all up. The onions must not be
too much cooked.

Put the fish into a deep earthen
jar in layers with onions between each layer, pour over the vinegar and
cover closely. In two days it will be fit to use but will keep for a long
time.

The quantities for the ingredients
seem rather vague, don't they? - Peter

Bush Buzz

Nature is wonderful. I envy
the jobs of the game rangers and their wealth of bush knowledge. I
have often wondered where one can read up on all the interesting
facts. I would like to make this a regular feature of this newsletter,
if you are able to contribute or would like to comment on the
contribution below, please
email me.

The
Klipspringer

While visiting Kruger National
Park recently, I spotted two klipspringer standing on a rocky outcrop.

The Klipspringer (literally "rock
jumper" in Afrikaans), Oreotragus oreotragus, is a small African
antelope that lives from the Cape of Good Hope all the way up East
Africa and into Ethiopia.

Reaching approximately 58cm (22 inches) at the shoulder, Klipspringers
are relatively small animals compared to some of their larger antelope
cousins. Only the males have fragile horns that are usually about
20-25cm (4-6 inches) long. They stand on the tips of their hooves..

With a thick and dense speckled "salt and pepper" patterned coat of an
almost olive shade, Klipspringers blend in well with the koppies (rock
outcrops) on which they can usually be found.

Klipspringers are herbivores, eating rock plants. They never need to
drink, since the succulents they subsist on provide them with enough
water to survive.

The mating season for Klipspringers is from September through to
January. The gestation period is about 214 days.

Looking for Gift Ideas?

Do you have family and friends all
over the world? Does it cost you a fortune to buy and mail gifts to
all of them? Why not buy one Recipe eBook and email it to everyone!
Just think about the savings on postage! For my selection of eBooks
(and CD's) just click here.

Afrikaans Newsletter

The next edition of my Afrikaans
Newsletter will be number 100! I am planning a bumper issue with some
nice freebies, so if you understand Afrikaans, why not
subscribe?

Smile a While

DO NOT TALK TO MY PARROT!!!

Wanda's dishwasher quit working so she called a repairman. Since she
had to go to work the next day,
she told the repairman, "I'll leave the key under the mat. Fix the
dishwasher, leave the bill on the counter, and I'll mail you a check."

"Oh, by the way don't worry about my bulldog, Spike. He won't bother
you. But, whatever you do, do NOT,
under ANY circumstances, talk to my parrot!" "I REPEAT, DO NOT TALK TO
MY PARROT!!!"

When the repairman arrived at Wanda's apartment the following day, he
discovered the biggest, meanest
looking bulldog he had ever seen. But, just as she had said, the dog
just lay there on the carpet watching
the repairman go about his work.

The parrot, however, drove him nuts the whole timewith his incessant
yelling, cursing and name calling.
Finally the repairman couldn't contain himself anylonger and yelled,
"Shut up, you stupid, ugly bird!"

To which the parrot replied, "Get him, Spike!"

See. Men just don't listen !

A college physics professor
was explaining a particularly complicated concept to his class when a
pre-med student interrupted him.

"Why do we have to learn this stuff?" one young man blurted out.

"To save lives," the professor responded before continuing the
lecture.

A few minutes later the student spoke up again. "So how does physics
save lives?"

The professor stared at the student for a long time without saying a
word. Finally the professor continued.

"Physics saves lives," he said, "because it keeps certain people out
of medical school."

Cinnamon,
Latin name Cinnamomum zeylanicum, was used in ancient Egypt for
embalming. In ancient times, Cinnamon was added to food to prevent
spoiling. During the Bubonic Plague, sponges were soaked in
Cinnamon & Cloves and placed in sick rooms. Cinnamon was the most
sought after spice during explorations of the 15th and 16th
centuries. It has also been burned as an incense. The smell of
Cinnamon is pleasant, stimulates the senses, yet calms the nerves.
It's smell is reputed to attract customers to a place of business.

Cinnamon is also known by the names Cassia, Sweet Wood, and Gui
Zhi. The common name Cinnamon encompasses many varieties,
including Cinnamomum cassia and Cinamomum saigonicum, which are
used interchangeably with Cinnamomum zeylanicum. The parts of the
plant used are the inner bark and twigs.

Hot apple cider just doesn't taste the same without a Cinnamon
stick. And toast, cookies, candies and fruit salads-not to mention
cappuccino-all benefit from a generous sprinkling of its sweet
powder. But Cinnamon's most popular work isn't as a kitchen spice.
This herb has been used medicinally for thousands of years to
fight tooth decay, clear up urinary tract infections and soothe
stomach irritation.

Ancient Chinese herbal references cite its uses as early as 2700
BC and Chinese herbalists still recommend it for relieving nausea,
fever, diarrhea, and menstrual problems. Modern herbalists
disagree on its ability to aid in menstrual difficulties; some
think it stimulates uterine contractions, while others believe it
calms the muscle.

Barking Up the Right Tree:

You won't find a Cinnamon tree in your backyard if you live in the
United States. Most Cinnamon comes from Asia and the West Indies.
To harvest the spice, collectors strip the aromatic bark form
branches of trees no more than 3 years old. These strips are what
we know as Cinnamon sticks.

Healing with Cinnamon:

Here's how to put Cinnamon's medicinal powers to work for you.
This fragrant spice:

Fights tooth decay: Several toothpastes are cinnamon-flavored-for
good reason. "Cinnamon is an antiseptic that helps kill the
bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease," says Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D., director of the American Phytotherapy Research
Laboratory in Salt Lake City and author of The Scientific
Validation of Herbal Medicine. Cinnamon also kills many
disease-causing fungi and viruses. Cinnamon toothpastes can be
found at supermarkets, drugstores and health-food stores.
Soothes upset stomach: Like many culinary spices, Cinnamon helps
calm the stomach. But a Japanese study of animals revealed that
this spice may also help prevent ulcers. To brew a
stomach-soothing tea, use ½ to ¾ teaspoon of powdered Cinnamon per
cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 to 20 minutes. Drink up to
three cups day.
Clears up urinary-tract infections: One German study showed that
Cinnamon "suppresses completely" the cause of most urinary-tract
infections (Escherichia coli bacteria) and the fungus responsible
for vaginal yeast infections (Candida albicans).
Allows diabetics to use less insulin: Some studies have shown that
Cinnamon helps people with diabetes metabolize sugar better. In
adult-onset (Type II) diabetes, the pancreas produces insulin, but
the body can't use it efficiently to break down blood sugar.
Researchers discovered that Cinnamon reduces the amount of insulin
necessary for glucose metabolism. "One-eighth of a teaspoon of
cinnamon triples insulin efficiency," say James A. Duke, Ph.D., a
botanist retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and
author of The CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Dr. Duke suggest
that people with adult-onset diabetes discuss Cinnamon's benefits
with their doctor. Taking ½ to ¾ teaspoon of ground Cinnamon with
each meal may help control blood sugar levels.
Safety Considerations:

The amounts of Cinnamon normally used in food are non-toxic,
although some people experience allergic reactions after eating
this spice.

Cinnamon oil is a different story. Applied to the skin, it may
cause redness and burning. Taken internally, it can cause nausea,
vomiting and possibly even kidney damage. Never ingest Cinnamon
oil.

Culinary Cinnamon is on the Food and Drug Administration's list of
herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy
non-pregnant adults, there's no danger from medicinal doses.

A favourite
drink of mine at the moment, heat a cup of milk (I use fatfree),
sprinkle over some ground cinnamon and sweeten with two low
kilojoule sweetener tablets. Stir well and enjoy!- Peter

South African Languages

South Africa is a multilingual
country. Besides the 11 officially recognised languages, scores of
others - African, European, Asian and more - are spoken here, as
the country lies at the crossroads of southern Africa.
The country's Constitution guarantees equal status to 11 official
languages to cater for the country's diverse peoples and their
cultures. These are: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa,
isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga.

In each issue I will feature
one of the languages, I will start with Afrikaans as it is my home
language:

Afrikaans
Afrikaans has its roots in 17th century Dutch, with influences
from English, Malay, German, Portuguese, French and some African
languages. One of the first works of written Afrikaans was
Bayaan-ud-djyn, an Islamic tract written in Arabic script by Abu
Bakr.

Initially known as Cape Dutch, Afrikaans was largely a spoken
language for people living in the Cape, with proper Dutch the
formal, written language.
Afrikaans came into its own with the growth of Afrikaner identity,
being declared an official language - with English - of the Union
of South Africa in 1925. The language was promoted alongside
Afrikaner nationalism after 1948 and played an important role in
minority white rule in apartheid South Africa. The 1976
schoolchildren's uprising was sparked by the proposed imposition
of Afrikaans in township schools.
Afrikaans is spoken mainly by white Afrikaners, coloured South
Africans and sections of the black population. Although the
language has European roots, today the majority of
Afrikaans-speakers are not white.
Afrikaans is home language 13.3% of the population

Source: SouthAfrica.info
The all-in-one official guide
and web portal to South Africa.

Christmas Story and Recipe

It's not even November yet and
I see the stores have their Christmas decorations up! My lifetime
wish has been to experience a white Christmas. We had tentative
plans to visit friends of mine in North Pole, Alaska, but the trip
had to be postponed. That would have been the ultimate white
Christmas for me! For some reason, probably because of the movies,
I have the perception that people from the USA really live the
Christmas Spirit, AND they mostly have snow at Christmas time! So
let me give you an early Christmas story, sent to me by the
author, Louisa Godissart McQuillen. Thanks a lot, Louisa, for the recipe as
well!

I rooted through the ornament box twice, but still couldn't find
the tinsel icicles for our Christmas tree. But we always had
icicles! How could this happen?

A thorough search proved that it could happen-and did. There
wasn't a tinsel icicle anywhere. Grabbing our jackets, my young
daughter and I headed to town before stores closed for the
holidays.

A few tree ornaments, but no icicles, remained at Widmann's. We
trotted past Kephart's Hardware and on to the next corner.
Crossing the street at Front and Pine, we headed into McCrory's.
Ceiling lights blinked a first "closing" warning as we rushed in
the door.

Erin stopped to chat with friends and I hurried to the Christmas
aisle. Shelves still held various ornaments. Hmmm . . . but where
are the tinsel icicles?

The next aisle brought me face-to-face with treetop angels. I
recalled that a similar angel had graced our Christmas trees when
I was a child. Eventually her halo tilted and she looked faded,
possibly due to many years spent in our old attic.

I scanned the next shelf and suddenly there it was-the store's
last box of tinsel icicles! "Hooray!" I laughed, grabbing my
coveted prize and heading for the checkout counter. Ceiling lights
overhead blinked a final warning and the manager locked the front
doors. McCrory's was officially closed for the holidays.

At the checkout, I watched an elderly gentleman tuck his plaid
neck scarf into his coat. "Merry Christmas, young lady!" he
exclaimed, smiling. The twinkle in his eyes was infectious and
brought a similar response to mine. "Merry
Christmas to you!" I said warmly as I paid for my purchase.

Outside, the early winter skies were nearly dark. Big wafers of
white were falling as Erin skipped on ahead. "Snow!" she announced
with a happy grin. "It looks like a white Christmas after all,
Mom!"

Stores in larger cities probably teemed with shoppers at 5 PM on
Christmas Eve. But here in the country, almost everyone had gone
home for the holidays. Storefronts were dark, the sidewalks mostly
deserted.

Passing Irwin's Stationery store, we doubled back for a closer
look into its frosted windows. Several finely sculpted and
delicate ornaments brought to mind my mother's old-fashioned
treasures.

"We have some delicate old gems I once begged from your Grandma,
Erin. Remember the little metal Santas?"

"Uh-huh," she gushed . . . "and the elves on tiny skis!"

I laughed. "Those too!"

Odors of pine permeated the crisp air as a truck laden with
evergreens turned the corner. We watched as it rambled slowly down
Pine Street and out of sight.

"What kind of trees did Grandpa get when you were a little kid?"
Erin asked as she danced along catching snowflakes on her tongue.
"Tall ones," I replied. "Sometimes spruce, sometimes, pine. There
was more bark than needles on some of them too!"

On Christmas Eve I'd squirm away from the table. I would curl up
on the couch and breathe in our tree's piney fragrance until Dad
was ready to test the colored tree lights. After he draped them on
the tree's branches, he contentedly watched as Mom and my sister
and brother and I decorated it.

"One year," I recalled, "the tree was so tall that our angel got
jammed against the ceiling. I think that's how her halo got
tilted!"

Christmas Eve hadn't yet reached the horizon, but already the
Spirit of Christmas was at work in our hearts. We hurried past
Hoover's Hardware, turned the corner and headed for the car. While
the engine warmed, we sat watching the heavy snows mount on the
windshield.

In the distance, Presqueisle Street's lovely old dwellings were
alive with first lights of evening. Smoke curled from a nearby
chimney and wafted across the sidewalk. Why, the town park looked
like a picture postcard! Soon Philipsburg
lay behind us as we crossed the bridge back into Chester Hill.

Turning the corner, our car climbed Baker's Hill just as Dad's old
truck nosed into the driveway. We waved to him. Then we stomped
snow from our boots and headed inside. Overhead, silence gently
reigned in the dark, star-strewn
heavens.

Closing the front door, I turned on the porch light for my father.
Even from this distance we could smell Mom's "poor man's raisin
cake" as it cooled on the kitchen counter.

I love my daily fix of
yoghurt, with the summer heat with us already, check out the kewl
recipe below:

Yoghurt has a long history and
an enviable reputation for promoting health and longevity.
In the Middle East and India, yoghurt is part of the basic daily
diet and is frequently used in cooking.
Yoghurt is a fermented milk product, with a pleasantly tangy taste
and a smooth, refreshing texture. It can be made from cow's milk
or goat's milk, full cream or skimmed. Flavoured yoghurts are
available commercially, as well as natural yoghurt, but the latter
is easily prepared at home.
Natural or flavoured yoghurt is a delicious soothing dessert.
Natural yoghurt may take the place of cream with an apple pie,
steamed pudding or fruit salad, topped with honey and walnuts.
In Greek fashion, it appeals to young and old, and compliments
fresh berry fruits, such as strawberries and raspberries.
Yoghurt accompanies curries and Indian vegetable dishes, Middle
East dished such as lentils and rice, or fried brinjals.
Meats and vegetable are often cooked in yoghurt, and yoghurt can
serve as the base of a spicy marinade for chicken.
Hot vegetable soups can be enhanced with yoghurt.

Yoghurt curdles if cooked for a long time. To prevent this, the
yoghurt should be mixed with cornflour - 5ml of cornflour mixed in
a little cold water to every 375ml yoghurt - slowly brought to the
boil and then allowed to simmer over a very low heat, uncovered
for about 10 minutes. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon while
bringing to the boil.

1. Beat the yoghurt with the vanilla and sugar
2. Pour mixture into shallow ice cream tray, cover with foil and
place in the freezer
3. When about half frozen, remove from freezer and blend in a
blender until smooth
4. Return to freezer
5. Allow yoghurt to soften for about 30 minutes in refrigerator
before serving
6. Serve with fresh or canned fruits

Recipe Requests

Looking for a specific South African recipe?Email meand I will do my best to find it for you!

Zambezi Enterprises is the main provider of Southern African Food and
other specialty products from home. We pride ourselves in keeping our
prices competitive, fair and to your satisfaction. We offer a wide range
of products such as African spices, Nandos, and Tea.

Combine the cake flour , baking powder and salt. Beat the eggs and milk
until foamy, then gradually beat in the flour mixture. Beat in the cream,
then the melted butter or oil and the brandy. Heat a small frying pan and
grease it lightly with oil. Pour in a thin layer of the pancake batter,
tilting the pan to distribute it evenly. Fry the pancake on one side for
about 1 minute then turn the pancake with a spatula (or flip it!!, looks
more impressive) and fry it for another minute. Turn the pancake out onto
a plate and keep warm while making the remaining pancakes. Sprinkle each
pancake with cinnamon sugar.
Roll up the pancakes and serve. We also like to cut up a banana and use it
as pancake filling before rolling up, or your favourite jam!!

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 °C and grease a deep 30 x 30 cm ovenproof dish with
butter.
Bring all the sauce ingredients to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes.
Set aside and keep hot.
Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt together, add to the flour
mixture and mix to a dough.
Pour the sauce into the dish and drop spoonfuls of dough into the sauce.
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, cover and bake for 40 minutes or until done.
Serve hot.

Method:
Gently beat the eggs and salt together and add the cake flour. Mix well.
Add just enough water to make a stiff dough. Knead well until smooth and
elastic. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough until 5 mm thick
and cut out thin strips. Roll the strips in some cake flour. Bring the
milk and cinnamon sticks to the boil. Add the dough strips in small
batches, stirring continually. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and
simmer for about 15-25 minutes until the strips are done and have formed a
fairly thick milky porridge. Spoon into deep bowls and sprinkle with
cinnamon sugar. Serves 6-8.

Preheat the oven to 220 ºC and spray a 24 cm pie dish with non-stick
spray. Line the pie dish with the puff pastry. Cut two long strips of
pastry, each about 4 cm wide. Place one pastry strip along the top edge of
the pie dish and brush with ice water. Lay the other pastry strip on top
of the first and crimp the edge. Separate the eggs and lightly beat the
egg whites. Set the yolks aside for later. Brush the bottom of the pie
crust with a little of the beaten egg white and chill. Heat the milk,
naartjie rind and cinnamon sick. Switch off the plate and leave the milk
mixture-to stand for 45 minutes. Bring to the boil and pour through a
sieve. Pour a little of the milk into a mixing bowl and blend with the
cornflour, cake flour, salt, sugar and egg yolks to form a smooth paste.
Add the flour mixture to the hot milk and return to the stove. Heat while
stirring continuously until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens.
Remove from the heat and place the butter on top. Tip the saucepan so the
melted butter covers the entire surface of the mixture. Beat the egg
whites and almond essence together until soft peaks are formed and fold
into the milk mixture. Turn the mixture into the prepared pie dish and
bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and bake at 180 ºC for another 15
minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve lukewarm. Makes 1
medium-sized tart.

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